LOADED CHEESY CHICKEN POTATO CHOWDER

The chowder is easy, ready in about a half hour, and the ultimate comfort food. The smaller you dice the vegetables, the faster it'll be ready. I recommend 1/4-inch dice. It's loaded with tender potatoes, juicy chicken, sweet Vidalia onions, carrots, celery, and corn which all add texture and flavor. Even with chowder I need texture and a variety of vegetables to keep me interested and this does the trick. It's thick, creamy, rich, and wonderfully cheesy. Grate your own cheese because pre-grated convenience bags of cheese are resistant to melting. We couldn't get enough of the chowder. The savory, cheesy broth is my ultimate weakness.

1-To a large Dutch oven or stockpot, add the oil and heat over medium-high heat to warm.

2-Add the onion, carrots, celery, and sauté for about 7 to 9 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften. Stir intermittently.

3-Add the garlic and sauté for another 1 to 2 minutes.

4-Add the flour and whisk constantly until lightly browned, about 1 minute.

5-Add the chicken broth, milk, and whisk constantly until slightly thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes.

6-Add potatoes, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper, optional cayenne, and bring to a boil. Allow chowder to boil fairly rapidly for about 15 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender; stir intermittently. At any time while the chowder is boiling, if the overall liquid level is lower than you like and the chowder is too thick, adding a cup of extra milk is okay. At the end you will adjust the seasoning levels.

7-After potatoes are soft, add the chicken, corn, and boil for 1 to 2 minutes to warm the chicken and corn through.

8-Reduce the heat to low, add the cheese slowly, and stir continuously until melted and combined.

9-Add the parsley and stir to combine.

10-Taste chowder and add salt to taste. I added another teaspoon but this will vary based on how salty the brand of chicken broth used is, how salty the rotisserie chicken and cheese are, and personal preference. Make any necessary seasoning adjustments (i.e. more salt, pepper, herbs, etc.) and serve immediately. Chowder will keep airtight in the fridge for 5 to 7 days; reheat very gently prior to serving so it doesn't 'break'. I haven't tried freezing the chowder.

I am totally in love with apples and bread pudding. That’s why I made a caramel apple bread pudding for my first Improv Challenge. This new version takes it to a new level because the bread itself had apples baked into it and then I topped it with cinnamon covered sauteed apples. I had to eat a bowl of the apples by themselves while the rest of the gang devoured the pudding. I didn’t feel deprived at all. The apples were delicious! I am only giving you the sauteed apple recipe here, because I used the same basic recipe for this apple bread pudding as in the caramel apple bread pudding.

Author: Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker Ingredients: 5 cooking apples, peeled, cored and thickly sliced½ cup butter⅓ cup agave nectar2 tsp cinnamon¼ tsp salt Instructions: Heat butter in a skillet until melted. Add the apples and cook until soft and slightly translucent. Add the agave, cinnamon and salt. Continue cooking a few minutes more so that the butter and agave thicken a bit.